Fire-control apparatus particularly intended for naval guns



W. AKEMANN.

FlREIiONTROL APPARATUS PARTICULARLY INTENDED FOR NAVAL GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 3, 1920.

1,38'?,44;0, Patented Aug. 9, 19 21.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. -AKEMAN'N.

FIRE CONTROL APPARATUS PARTICULARLY INTENDED FOR NAVAL GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 3, 1920.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w. AKEMANN:

FIRE CONTROL APPARATUS PARTICULARLY INTENDED FOR NAVAL GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT:3, 1920.

1,387,440, Patented Aug. 9,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Y Fig.5.

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Application filed se tmbe; 3,. 192a Serial No. name.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WALTER AKEMANN, residing at Essen, Germany, a citizen pf the German Republic, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Firelontrol Apparatus Particularly Intended for I Naval Guns, for which I have filed application in Germany, filed June 26, 1917 ,.-of

" which the followin is a specification.

This invention re ates to a fire control apparatus which is particularly intended for naval guns, and in which one part of the adjustable parts, corresponding to the ad-- vanced ignition, of anapparatus for efi'ecting the laying of the gun, is so connected by means of a lon ratu's to a stabllizable sighting instrument placed at the observing station that it .acc-urately reproduces the movements of the sighting instrument as regards angle, while the other part is mounted on a member which takes part in the adjustingmovement of the gun barrel.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which illlustrates diagrammatically two constructions intended for naval guns.

Figure 1 shows the first construction.

Fig. 2 shows a portion of Fig. 1 drawn .to an enlarged scale. L

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking from the left,

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3, looking from the left and Fig. 5 shows to the same scale as Fig. 1 a second construction with the parts which are situated at the observingstation omitted.-

In the construction shownin Figs. 1 to 4, A denotes a gyroscope casing which is set up at the observing station and cam oscillate about a horizontal axis B,"which coincides with the axisof oscillation of the gun barrel and can be stabilized by the gyroscope (not shown) suspended by means of a Cardan suspension, 6 is a sighting telescope rigidly attachedto the axis B and on this axis B is. also rigidly mounted a toothed sector b which is connected by toothed wheel gearing b 0 to the rotating part of a transmitter C of an electrical long distance controlling apparatus mounted on the casing A of the oscope.

. The casmg A is rocked about its horizontal axis by a hand wheel D, on the shaft 01 and said shaft ii is mounted on the base of v Specification ltetters Patent. I Patented teeth a on the casin trunnion. Upon the worm wheel 71.

distance controlling appa-- LY TNTENDED FOB NAVAL GUN S.

ac ge, rem.

the casing of the gyroscope, and carries a worm d which. cooperates with a series of A. The transmitter C is electrically connected by a long distance conductor E with a receiver G mounted on the gun carriage F, of the gun to be fired. Upon the shaft 9 of the receiver G, turning in bearings g fixed to the gun carriage F, is mounted-a worm 9 which gears with a worm wheel h This worm wheel k is mounted to rotate loosely on-the trunnion J, about the axis ofthe 1s r1 idly mounted an arm H forked at its fr e end (see Fig. 3) and one of the forked ends is constructed in the form of a tongue shaped circuit-closing piece If and the other has a'tongue-shaped stop k both ends lying in the same axial ,plane. The general arrangement of the long distance controlling tary movement of the sighting telescope b to the arm His such, that every rotary movement of the sighting telescope 71 with respect to the casing A results in a similar rotary movement of the arm H. Onthe. front of I the trunnion J is rigidly fixed a box J which contains in its interior in addition to the parts already mentioned namely g g and M H, 7L2, h a small casing J and a motor This motor K is for the purpose of adjusting, by means of a pinion gear within the casing J (see Figs. 2 to 4), a circuit-closing piece 2' cooperating with the circuit-closing piece If, to correspond to the preliminary ignition angle which is necessary. The circuit-closing pieces k and i are included in a circuit which contains the firing magnet (not shown) of the gun and forms a circuit-closing apparatus, by the closing of which the'operation of firing can be accomplished. The box J is closed at the front by acover (not shown in the drawing) in which is inserted a piece of glass for observing the-arm H and the part-- of the pinion gear which cooperates therewith inclosed in the casing J The piniongear inclosed in the casing J is shown on a larger scale in Figs. 2 to 4. A worm k mounted on the shaft 70 of the motor K is carried in bearings in the casing J 2 and gears with a worm wheel 2", which by means of intermediate gearing 2' if drives a hollow shaft i (see Fig. 3) which is adapted to rotate freely on a shaft 71 carried in the stop It moves in the direction of the arshaft 1" is rigidly attached a toothed ratchet in the casing J. To J the hollow wheel if. :On a circular-shaped disk 1'? keyed close :up against the ratchet wheel 1' is pi-v-' otally mounted a pawl i which 'bears against a pawl i mounted on the cas ng This pawl i (see particularly Fig. 3) 1s wider than the pawl 2' and bears when m the position shown in'the draw ng, against a recess 2'? in the disk 5 (see F g. 4). The disk 1'" has a gap in it, i, through which a tooth i fixed on the pawl '5 pro ects. When the pawl 1' emerges' from the recess i in the disk 71 and-releases the pawl 11, thi tooth can, eiiga under the action of the spring 2'" (see Fig. 4)' with'the ratchet wheel 1? and thereby couplethe hollow shaft i to the shaft 5 The release of thepawl 2: is effected by a tongue 4' which pro e cts through a slot 5 in the casing T and is rigidly connected to the pivot pm of the pawlz'". The point. of this tongue 2 protrudesin to the path ofthe tongue-shaped stop hfixed on the arm 'H so that the stop hcan bear against the tongue i andwhen 'rowm' (see Figs.- 2 and 4) can carry the tongue i? a short distance against the action of a Spring hed to the tongue '5 On the shaft 2" in addition to the disk 2 is i also keyed a disk cam i= against the spi closing piece i projects-through alslot i rally curved external surface of which, a hook-shaped'lever arm '0', of a. bell 'crank lever pivotally. mountedinI-the casing ,J" bears, and the other arm of which is formed by the circuit-closing piece z. This C11Cl11tin the casingJ and a tension spring i attached to the circuit-closing piece i tends to permanently press the pointpf the lever arm i against the edge of'the-disk cam z. The length of the circuit-closing piece [i is so calculated that its point projects into the I path of the circuit-closing iece h? on the arm H, so that the two circuit-closing pieces i and 71; can in passing, say, during the upward rolling of the ship, touch each other.

y The tongue i and the circuit-closing piece z" inclose, in-the position shown in the draw 'ing, in which the pawl i bears; agamst' the recess 11 and the hook-shaped lever arm 2 lies on the lowest 'poiii't'of'the disk'cam 71 a smallangle: each other, so that on' a rotarymove'ment of the 81111211, n the-.directtion of the "arrow: @the' tonguegit tmust be touched by the a littl soonergth u 'thelcircuit-closing piece 7 contactfwithrthe;circuit c osi'n 1 n, It -ca 111130 In order" hattlieworkingofth *abovedesciibedfirebontrolf pm m s y ship has taken; its-j i'niddleljfloatiiig* 'positio and does not make" any rolling'f novemen Y and that t e Dal f the apparatus vare iii-f the esteem MW- r mas;

elevation. re e the medium of the receiver .opposite the stop h.

a If for examplethe gun is to laidtocorrespond to the range of the target by means of the above described fire control ap aratus and fired, the sighting telescope 1 is adjusted 'to the target to-be fired at, with 7 the gyroscope in action, and maintained. in

this position, :by suitable lateral pressure'on I f one Cardan ring of the gyroscope apparatus,- i n' amanner' similar to that described in my co-pending application, Serial .No. 75' 408,090. The gyroscope casing'A is next rocked by, rotating the: hand wheel ND through the angle corresponding to' the range of the target. -As the sightingtele scope 6 does not alter its position owin s0 to the'action of the gyroscope, the toothe wheel 0 rolls during this rocking movement over the teeth I) and rotates the adjustable" part of thetransmitter C through' an angle which is approximately equal to the angle'of 85.

ated through- This rotation is g connectedto the transmitter C, by the 'circuit-closin piece h 'and stop, h mounted on the arm connected to the said receiver G, insuch a manner that they are rotated through a simiv lar-angle out of their original angular'posie tion. The gun barrel laterally laidupon the target is next rocked about thea'xis of the trunnions by the elevating gear until thetongue 2', which. is mounted on the axis- 0fthe trun'nionsand therefore takespart in the rocking movement of the gun barrel is again As soon as this is the case the tongue 2' and the'gun' Ibarrel'haye 10( been rotated through an anglecorresponding to the range of the target out .of their original angularposition. -The gun barrel therefore assumes anelevation corresponding to v the range of the target in respect of the ship 10: I

floating position and the takes place inthis case byposition, it is necessary to adjust the two Q circuit-closing pieceslz} and 11 with respect to each other through apreliinina'ry ignition angle corresponding to the delay infiringi;

For this purposethe motor K is set-in 1110- tion and kept at a constant number of rem lution's; The hollow shaft i coiinected 'to the motor K by theyinteri'nediate gear-sl w; 'iitgiconsequently together with the mat wheel i 'rotate with a uniform velocity.

pgijthe H bears against the'toiigu the pawl @1 leaves the recess 11 in-thes 2'10 Whentherefore by th l'otatioiiiof the v g "Q-the directionrof the arrowfw, 'thelstop; I H

'1 .diskfl y and consequently releases the pawl ii;

- ratchet wheel 21; By this means the coupling between'the hollow shaft i connected to the ratchet wheel 2' and the shaft 2' which car ries the disk 2' and the disk cam 2' is established. By this means the'rotary motion ofthemotor shaft 71: is transmitted to the shaft 17. On the rotation of the disk cam 2' which now commences, the hook-shaped lever arm 2' slides on the edge of the disk cam, and this results in a displacement ofthe circuit-closing piece if in such a direction that the. said GlI'Clllt-ClOS 1l1g piece '5 moves out of the way of the .circult-closlng piece If as this latter moves in the direction cam 5 is so designed geometrically that on the rotation of the said cam, the cir'cult-closing piece i at first moves rapidly and then more and more slowly through such an angular amount that the circuit-closing piece 723' which follows it with an approximately equal movement touches. it 111 a position which lies by the amount of the desired preliminary ignition angle in advance of the point in which the gun barrel assumes the before described elevation relatively to a the tongue 2' when the arm horizontal plane. At the instant of contact of-the circuit-closing piece i and M, the firing circuit is closed, the shot is fired and the projectile leaves the barrel exactly at the instant in which thesaid barrel assumes the before described elevation angle in respect ment of the arm H the circuit-closing piece k and the, stop it comes out of the path of the circuit-closing piece 2' and the tongue 2' so that these parts can return under the influence of the tension springs 71 and 2' into the position shown in Fig. 2, as soonas the shaft with the disks 2' and 71 has made one complete revolution when. the pawl 5 will again bear on the recess 2' and against the pawl i thus disconnectingthe shaft 77 from the hollow shaft i so that the shaft z" remains stationary.

In order to prevent the circuit-closing piece 71. and the stop it from coming into contact with the circuit-closin is rotated in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow :12, means are provided by a movable arrangement (not shown) of the circuit-closing piece and-the stopand an electro-magnetic device (likewise not shown) on the arm H which will insure that the circuitclosing piece k and stop k can. only assume the position shown in the drawing, when the arm H moves in the direction of the arrow w. 1 I

Instead of being fired when the ship passes through the middle floating position the gun Y can be fired during the course of the rolling tongue 2' together with the gun barrel takes 4 of the arrow w. The curvature of the d1Sk piece i and.

'justment of the sighting telescope and of the casing of the gyroscope takes place exactly as has'been already described, and the stop it accordingly assumes, an angular po- .sition which is shifted by the angle of elevation with respect to its original adjustment. As the stop It retains this position during the further course of the rolling movement of the ship and its corresponding 80 part in the said rolling movement, there is a relative movement between the stop and the tongue. When in the course of thisrelative movement the stop If and the tongue i touch each other and the gun barrel has received through the rolling movement an elevation equal to the angle of elevation, the pinion gear inclosed-in the casing J 2 is set in motion (as has already been described) and the shot automatically fired in the manner stated. 7 a

v If the angle of roll ofthe ship is somewhat less than the ecessary angle of elevation of the gun barrel, it is necessary in the last mentioned adjusting operation to impart to the gun barrel bythe elevating-gear, an elevation which is at least equal to the diiference between the two angles. to a horizontal plane. On the further move- 4 The principal advantages of the fire 'control apparatus herein described are that the entire apparatus is simple and insures an accurate adjustment and that in particular the parts of the fire control apparatus pro.-

is adjustable directly by a gyroscopic sighting apparatus suitable for marking the target and cooperates with a member (e. g. the circuit-closing piece i which takes part in the elevating movements of the gun barrel and is adjustable tothe preliminary angle of ignition at the time. The advantages explained are particularly obvious, ifas frequently happens. in reality-a number of guns are connected to a single gyroscopic sighting device placed at the observing station. The construction shown in Fig. 5 differs from the one described, by the fact that the receiver G instead of being mounted on the gun carriage F is mounted inside the box J l3( 1 one is connected by the long distance confixed on the trunnion J and is provided with two field windings (not shown) of which ductor E to the transmitter C see :Fig. 1)

and the other by a conductor to an auxiliary transmitter N, which in its turn'is' mountedon the gun carriage F. The shaft n ofthis auxiliary transmitter iscQ'nnected through a bevel wheel gearing wlth a spur wheel-P- which gears into a .ring of teeth 5" on the trunnion J; The electrical connection between the auxiliary transmitter N and the receiver G is such that a rotation of the mltter G and the other-by the auxiliary.

essary, to iilttiliPOSG between the receiver -G a' sun and planet, gear, one 60.

' and consequently retains its arm H carrying the stop It and the circuitclosin piece It. a a

If uring theelevation movement of the gun barrel the trunnion J executes a rotat1on relatively to the gun carriage F, the-arm'I-I. then takes part in the rotation of the tram. nion, At the same time the auxlliary trans-.

mitter N owing'to its connection with'the trunnionJ, is displaced by an anglewhichis approximately equal to the angle of rotation of the trunnion. Under the assumptlon,

auxiliary transmitter N,-the arm H assumes relatively to the gun carriage F thatpo sition which corresponds to the adjustmentof the transmitter and consequently of the sighting telescope b. The cooperation .of; the stop h and ofthe circuit-closing iece];

with the tongue i and .the circuit-closing,

piece 1? takes place correspondingly-accurately as in the construction first described I Of course it would be possible, without departing from the invent1on,: instead of roviding the receiver G with two field wlndings, one of which is supplied bythe transtransmitter N, as in the last described construction to employ one receiver, which, as shown'in 'Fig. 1, 1s merely electrlcally connected to the transmitter C, but at thesa'me time is mounted on the'trunnion J' as. is

shownin Fig. 5. In this case it is only necandthe arm wheel of which is connected to a toothed wheel which'can roll over a toothed sector carriage F.

rigidly connected to the a such case by a suitable se ection of the ratios of transmission it would also be insured that. on rotation of the trunnion J the. position of) J} fixed on the trunnion J is corresponded to by anequally v great but oppositely directed rotationof the.

tive1ycon n ected so. as to take elevating movement of the gun arrel,said

device 'tothe arm, said arm being provide with a stop and c1rcu1't closin piece, means:

advanced ignition ap aratus;

lass described f 4 said receiver "carriage. r.

the arm H with respect to the g'un carri v F remains the same.

The above described arrangement. of the receiver G on the trunnion-J instead of-on the gun carriage F ,afiords the advantage th-at the accuracy and reliability of the adjustment of. the arm H is not prejudicially afi'ected by the clearancewhich may exist between'the trunnion and the gun carria In add1tion,-this arrangementenables t e receiver G to be brou ht, together with the v circuit closing-pieces- 11", wlthin the casingf trunnion. I

1. An apparatus of the .class described which comprises a. sighting -,devic'e, means -forstabilizing said sighting device, an ining the sighting device-t6 the indicator, as

*dicator i mounted adjacent the trunnion of a-gun', electrical means operatively connect:

circuit closing piece carried by said indi-R cator,, a second indicator coiiperating" with the first mentioned indicator, and operaart in'the second indicator embodying means which cooperate w1ththe first mentioned indicator and circuit-closing piece, substantially and for the purpose set forth."

a 2. An apparatus of the class described which com rises a sighting device, means" for 'stabilizm'ggsaid sighting device, an arm arranged adjacent a gun, an electrical trans m1ss1on operat vel'yconnectingthe sightin operatively connected to an taking part in the elevation of the gun said means 00- v.

cperating, with said 'stop and circuit closing piece .for automatically adjusting the ,3. An apparatus 0 the which comprises a sighting device, a 'gyros'copic apparatus for stabil z an indlc'ator, electric transmisslon means op-v said device,"- era'tively connecting the'sighting device tov the indlcator, and including a.-receiver, a

casing mounted upon a-trunnion of the. gun, a circuit closin 'dicator, a secon indicatorcoiiperating with said first mentioned "indicator-,1 said second indicator being operatively connected to the. gun trunnion to take part in its rotary movement, additional means contained in said "casing and operatively connected to-said tional means cotiperatingwith, said circuit closing device for-closing an ignition circuit,

, ing mounted upon the devicecarried by said in-" v 4; An apparatus .of' the'class described stabilizing said sig "cator ,-a circuit closing-piece carried by a which comprises a si hting device, means fertmg device, an-;ind1'-" second indicator for automatically adjusting 4 the advanced'ignition apparatus, said: addi-j indicator, an electric long distance transmission including a transmitter and receiver for operatively connecting the sighting device to the indicator, a casing mounted on the gun trunnion and containing said receiver, a cooperating pointer in said casing, an automatic firing delay apparatus in said casing operatively connected to said pointer, means mounted on the gun carriage for retaining said indicator in the angular position prescribed by the adjustment of the sighting device,said circuit closing piece and automatic firing delay apparatus cooperating to close a firing circuit.

5. An apparatus of the class described comprising a sighting device, a gyroscopic apparatus for stabilizing said sighting device, an indicator comprising a stop and a circuit closing piece, electric transmission means operatively connecting the sighting device to said indicator, indicating means cooperating with said first mentioned indicator, said second indicator being operatively connected to the gun trunnion to take part in its rotary movement, said second indicator embodying a circuit closing piece, a tongue and an advanced ignition apparatus the circuit closing piece of said first and secondindicators cooperating to close a firing circuit.

6. An apparatus of the class described comprising a sightin device, a gyroscopic apparatus for stabillzing said device, an indicator having a stop and a circuit closing piece, electric-transmission means operatively connecting the sighting device to the indicator and including a receiver, a second indicator cooperating with said first indicator, said second indicator being operatively connected to the gun trunnion to take part in its rotary movement, a casing containing said indicators, said second indicator being provided with a tongue, a circuit closing piece, and an advanced ignition apparatus cooperating therewith, the contact piece of said first and second indicators during the cooperative movement of the indicators being adapted to contact to close an electrical firing circuit.

7. An apparatus of the class described comprising a sighting device, means for stabilizing said sighting device, an indicator mounted adjacent to the trunnion of a gun, means for operatively connected said indicator to said sighting device, a contact and a stop carried by said indicator, a second contact cooperating with the first-mentioned contact and a second stop cooperating with said first-mentioned stop, said second contact and stop being operatively connected to the gun trunnion to take part in its rotary movement, a casing mounted to take part in the rotary movement of the gun trunnion, a ratchet gear and a cam in said casing, an automatic clutch for coupling said cam to said ratchet gear in the moment of cooperation of the two stops and means for driving one part of said clutch with a constant speed.

The foregoing specification signed at Essen, Germany, this 16th day of June, 1920.

DR. WALTHER AKEMANN.

In presence of- HANS GOIITSMANN, JonANN- A. DEOKERS. 

